Wintertime bass fishing requires avid use of electronics, as finding fish is crucial. Lowrance electronics, such as Structure Scan and 3D Structure Scan, provide advanced picture clarity and help locate fish hiding in various bottom structures. Understanding patterns and catching multiple fish off one spot is essential, as bass often group up in cold winter water. Skilled use of these technologies is essential for success in winter fishing.
Use Your Electronics for Winter Bass Fishing
In the wintertime it is imperative that you become an avid user of your electronics; the key to finding fish is in the details on your graph and searching is the key. Never in the history of the bass fishing world have we had more detail to search from than we have today. Lowrance electronics is so advanced in the picture you get while scanning the bottom that finding fish is now an art that requires you to learn to use today’s technology. Their technology like Structure Scan, 3D Structure Scan and improved picture clarity has never been so inclusive. Being proficient is not an option anymore it’s a requirement, and if you take it seriously enough you can be a great winter fisherman. Scanning the bottom can be the most important aspect of a winter fisherman, you can eliminate time, narrow down depth to within a foot of the strike zone and see where the fishing is holding in respect to the current on your lake. Bait fish become clearly a focus in winter fishing and your ability to see bait balls or groups of bait is at your finger tips you just have to spend some time seeing the bottom and understanding what your Lowrance Electronics is telling you.
The key is finding and understanding what your seeing, random arches, grass, rock, humps, sharp drops gives you keys as to where the fish are hiding and how to fish them. The clarity of these different types of bottom structure is remarkable. Understanding what you’re seeing, gathering up the details all lead you to the next bite. As an example, bass position sometimes along drops, many times there on the first drop as you work down the water column. Visualizing where they are positioned can be the key to getting into the fish and finding that winning bag. If the bass are along a 10 ft. drop, then there is a key that you must use to your advantage. Look at other 10 ft. drops to see if it’s a pattern, then start to fish the drop that you found them gathering around. Once you get a bite then work that area thoroughly then use it as a pattern, especially if you caught more than one fish off that 10 ft. drop. I believe that one fish is a bite, two fish caught is a good sign and three fish caught is a pattern. Patterns are the key to wintertime fishing because as I have stated many times bass generally group up in the cold winter water and when you find a few bites in a small area you have a chance at loading the boat. Covering water is always a key in wintertime fishing, but thoroughly covering an area after getting a bite is the key to catching multiple fish off one spot. Certainly, this is not always the case, but I believe that it is more than often true in wintertime fishing.
Finding the clues is the key and in the winter. The clues may be all you have to go on. Keys come in many forms. Water clarity is whether the water is clear or dirty and how far down can you see. Look around for bait fish moving in the area, is there birds flying and diving for food near bye, is there active bass feeding around the area you located; all these tell you if your in the right area or not and if you are observant you will find the winter bass. Be observant, use your
Lowrance technology to lead you and you will find your searching skills keep getting better and you will become a better winter fishermen.
Check out my bass fishing videos https://inthespread.com/bass-fishing-videos
Fish Lake Guntersville Guide Service
www.fishlakeguntersvilleguideservice.com
www.facebook.com/FishGuntersville
Email: bassguide@comcast.net
Call: 256 759 2270
Capt. Mike Gerry
In The Spread is one of the world's premier sport fishing video companies and educational outlets for demonstration, explanation and insight on how to catch fish. Get inside access to our video library by becoming a member.
Mike Gerry In The Spread, Instructor